Governor To Issue 'Stay At Home' Order For Wisconsin

March 23, 2020 10:15a

(WPR)---Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday morning that he would issue a "stay at home" order on Tuesday in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Evers announced the move Monday morning on his official Twitter account. He said he would announce further details on Tuesday.

"I know this has been difficult and has disrupted the lives of people across our state," Evers said. "That’s why issuing a #SaferAtHome order isn’t something I thought we’d have to do, and it’s not something I take lightly. But here’s the bottom line: folks need to start taking this seriously."

Evers had said as recently as Friday that he thought the state could avoid the kind of "shelter in place" order being handed down by governors in other states. Republican legislative leaders praised that stance, saying they believed the further shutdown of businesses was unnecessary.

But Monday morning, Evers said it was clear that more needed to be done.

"People across our state are still out and about unnecessarily that are putting our friends, our neighbors, and our communities at risk," Evers tweeted. "Please #StayHome and help us save lives."

Evers made the announcement as confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to climb in Wisconsin.

As of Sunday, the state Department of Health Services listed 381 confirmed cases of the disease in Wisconsin, including four deaths. 

Editor's note: This story will be updated.